How to hire detectives and criminal investigators
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed. • Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene. • Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records. • Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device. • Prepare reports that detail investigation findings. • Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed. • Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants. • Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, critical thinking, writing and active learning skills • Working knowledge of law and government, public safety and security, English Language and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $45.09 an hour ($93,790 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for detectives and criminal investigators
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What detectives and criminal investigators do
- Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed.
- Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
- Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records.
- Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
- Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
- Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
- Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
- Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for detectives and criminal investigators
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +0.2% over ten years, little or no change · about 7,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay detectives and criminal investigators
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $160,760 |
| Maryland | $126,730 |
| California | $124,840 |
| New Jersey | $116,300 |
| Washington | $115,790 |
| Louisiana | $60,450 |
| Mississippi | $58,640 |
| Arkansas | $54,500 |
See detectives and criminal investigators pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Private Detectives and Investigators
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- Financial Specialists, All Other
- Forensic Science Technicians
- Compliance Officers
- Transit and Railroad Police
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
- Bailiffs
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.